LOS ANGELES, November 17 – The Los Angeles Lakers are relevant once again and may soon welcome back one of the greatest players in franchise history. Kobe Bryant has started telling close friends and business associates that he is in fact contemplating a return to the NBA. According to sources the 18-time All-Star and 5-time NBA champion has been training at the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo with the hopes of getting back on the court by Christmas.

When reached for comment the as of now retired Kobe would not rule out a return to professional basketball saying only that “right now my primary focus is on venture capital. My workout routine with the Lakers is nothing more than good therapy. Could I still dominate at the highest level of basketball? Absolutely. But at this point in my life is playing a game as exciting as investing in something like drone delivery for pharmaceuticals? Time will tell.”

When Bryant’s intentions became clearer, Lakers’ head coach Luke Walton started tinkering with the team offense to better suite the needs of the 38 year old former superstar by moving away from the free flowing, constant ball movement style he adopted from his time with the Golden State Warriors, a system that so far this season has shown great promise in Los Angeles, to something much more isolation friendly and familiar to Kobe back when he averaged well over 20 field goal attempts per game.

“You can’t allow an NBA defense to settle in,” said the first year head coach. “It’s all about multiple looks and regardless of Kobe’s status the players on this roster need to get use to taking the air out of the ball and slowing things down a little bit.”

D’Angelo Russell, the starting point guard, leading scoring and perhaps greatest beneficiary of a Kobe free locker room, was not made available for comment after a recent practice but did show up on the team’s latest injury report as ‘questionable’ for the Lakers next game vs the San Antonio Spurs with what team doctors are referring to as a case of ‘mild sadness’.

Word out of Eugene, Oregon is that Nike hopes to capitalize on Bryant’s potential return to the NBA with a new signature Kobe shoe made with actual black mamba venom.

CHICAGO, November 15 – While most NFL players and personnel have chosen to remain silent since the presidential election, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is proud to have cast a ballot for Donald Trump. In related news, this past weekend Cutler was also able to confirm that he is not good at playing football.

His enthusiasm for Mr. Trump was on full display in the Bears’ 36-10 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the normally dour and unexpressive signal caller appeared downright demonstrative and effusive while completing 16 of 30 passes for 182 yard and two interceptions.

His attitude caught many teammates off guard as they have long grown accustomed to Cutler appearing as if he does not ‘give a shit’.

The loss drops the hapless Bears to 2-7 on the year and while Cutler’s reign in Chicago will most likely come to a merciful conclusion at the end of the regular season, it’s not all bad news for the Santa Claus, Indiana native as President-Elect Trump remains so impressed by the Smokin’ Jay Cutler meme that he promised to consider Cutler for an opening with the surgeon general.

CHICAGO, November 3 – A grown man was seen crying early this morning as he walked alone up and down the streets of Old Town.

Initial reports indicated that he was in distress but eventually those nearby were able to verify that they were in fact tears of joy and relief not sadness.

“He was smiling the whole time,” said Millie Snyder a cashier at the nearby Treasure Island grocery store. “It was as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he was able to stand up straight for the first time in his life.”

The man could not be reached for comment however a mysterious note was later found posted outside the Second City Theater that authorities have determined could only have been written by a person in a state of blissful euphoria.

While the entirety of the message remains confidential until such a time that the author can be verified by forensic analysis, a small portion of note has been made public and goes as follows:

“It is only a game but the love shared by my city, my son, my mother represents a bond that cannot be broken by time or distance. I cry because the memory of this moment will last forever.”

In other news, the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.

CLEVELAND, November 2 – Six days before the election and both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have revised their schedules and will hold dueling rallies outside of Progressive Field in Cleveland prior to Game 7 of the World Series. These impromptu campaign events will create massively long security lines outside of the stadium and ticket holders to tonight’s historic game are now being asked to consider watching from home.

“Our primary responsibility is the safety and security of the nominees,” said Secret Service spokesperson Jane Dombrowski. “And although we advised both campaigns against holding these events so close to first pitch due to safety concerns neither was willing to sacrifice a final opportunity to appeal to the undecided voters of Cuyahoga County.”

Single tickets for Game 7 have been selling for upwards of $20,000 and fans of both the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are understandably upset by the prospect of missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“This is just another example of politicians being out of touch with the average American voter,” said Matt Gibson a lifelong Indians fan and retired steelworker from Youngstown who divested all of his savings for a ticket to Game 7. “You wait your whole life to celebrate a championship with your favorite baseball team only to have that opportunity taken from you by the government.”

Mr. Gibson says that he was going to write in Urban Meyer for president anyway and that this latest development has only strengthened his resolve.

MLB has yet to offer refunds for ticket holders unable to make it to Game 7 but when word reached Mr. Trump aides said that the Republican nominee was upset and potentially willing to offer high level cabinet positions to those most affected by this “terrible, horrible tragedy”.